Traditionally, the method of making nonmagnetic, austenitic stainless steel is to melt raw materials in an electric arc furnace to form a melt having between about 6-7% manganese. After transfer to an Argon Oxygen Decarburization (AOD) vessel, injection of oxygen and nitrogen mixtures having the ratio of oxygen to nitrogen of 3:1 and 1:1 (by volume) removes carbon from the melt by selectively oxidizing the carbon. After slagging off, ferroalloys are melted in to reach the desired final analysis. This process usually employs a temperature of about 3300.degree. F. (1816.degree. C.). At least, it typically uses a temperature well above the 3150.degree. F. (1732.degree. C.) at which refractories break down.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,082,083, Levy et al. disclose an alloy of stainless steel useful for producing drill collars. The alloy is strong, tough, corrosion-resistant, wear-resistant, and free of magnetic effects under the conditions encountered in actual, practical use. This alloy is significantly less expensive than other alloys, such as Monel-K. The alloy is a carbon, manganese, nickel, chromium, nitrogen, iron steel made in an electric arc furnace.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,112,195, Souresny discloses a drill stem made from non-magnetizable, austenitic, manganese-chromium alloy steels. A particular alloy of carbon, silicon, manganese, chromium, nitrogen steel is cold-worked into a drill collar. The steel may have tungsten, titanium, columbium, tantalum, boron, vanadium, copper, and cobalt, individually or jointly, as additives.